Bihar legislative council polls: Seat allotment signals RJD-Congress differences

An RJD leader said Tejashwi Yadav sees an opportunity to improve the party’s tally in the 2024 national polls and this is why he has started playing hardball with Congress

PATNA: On Sunday, the Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD) announced 20 candidates for the Bihar legislative council polls while allotting a seat to the Communist Party of India. There was no clarity as to whether the RJD would offer the remaining three seats to Congress, which is believed to be planning to contest all 24 seats alone.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. (HT Photo)

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the decision to contest a majority of seats was as per the wishes of the party and its supporters. “We are with Congress ideologically. But it is regional parties, be it RJD, Trinamool Congress [TMC], Samajwadi Party [SP] which should be in the driver’s seat,” he said.

An RJD leader said Yadav sees an opportunity to improve the party’s tally in the 2024 national polls. “This is why he has started playing hardball with Congress so that his party is not under less pressure to give more seats to the national party.”

A second leader said Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal send 161 lawmakers to parliament. He added Yadav knows he can enhance his image as a national leader if he could be part of a regional bloc instead of aligning with the Congress alone. “This is why RJD supported the TMC in the Bengal polls and is supporting SP in Uttar Pradesh.”

Yadav’s differences with the Congress are believed to have begun after the national party could win just 19 out of the 70 seats it was allotted in the 2020 assembly elections. RJD is said to have chosen to contest Tarapur and Kushweshwar Asthan assembly by-polls in October ignoring Congress because of these differences.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has called Congress’s dismal performance in the 2020 Bihar polls one of the factors that frustrated their alliance’s chances to form the government. “The Congress can always contest 24 [legislative council] seats on its own. Who has stopped them?”

Congress leader Harku Jha said Congress has not disassociated or snapped ties with RJD. “It is the RJD, which is doing it. This is unfortunate,” he said.

Last week, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan slammed RJD for acting arrogantly. “RJD would come to Congress only when it is once again weak. Such arrogant attitude of RJD is not good,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashok Kumar Sinha said RJD’s cold-shouldering reflects growing animosity between the two allies. “It also shows the weakening of the central leadership of Congress. The Congress will weaken more in eastern states.”